Great looking pond and an excellent addition to the garden. I don't know about ecology and biodiversity in SW France but it looks like too much algae on the surface....maybe skim it off. Maybe you should seek local advice.
Based in Sussex, I garden to encourage as many birds to my garden as possible.
Doesn't look the best pond - rather shaded, probably quite steep-sided and possibly quite deep. Plus covered in duckweed and quite likely with a great deal of accumulated sludge at the bottom. Has potential though - is this a house you're going to be living in for several years?
It could attract quite a lot of wildlife e.g. Marbled Newt, Great Crested Newt (probably out of range for this), Palmate Newt, Marsh Frog (large frogs with a stripe down the back), Common Frog, Western Common Toad (Bufo spinosus).
Also snakes such as Grass Snake and Viperine Snake (both harmless).
Doesn't look the best pond - rather shaded, probably quite steep-sided and possibly quite deep. Plus covered in duckweed and quite likely with a great deal of accumulated sludge at the bottom. Has potential though - is this a house you're going to be living in for several years?
It could attract quite a lot of wildlife e.g. Marbled Newt, Great Crested Newt (probably out of range for this), Palmate Newt, Marsh Frog (large frogs with a stripe down the back), Common Frog, Western Common Toad (Bufo spinosus).
Also snakes such as Grass Snake and Viperine Snake (both harmless).
Thanks for your advice. Yes we plan on keeping the house for our lifetime and passing on to our children if possible too.
Our main aim is to maintain the wildlife and keep the pond as healthy an ecosystem as possible. However, as you can no doubt tell, my knowledge is extremely limited!
I'm newly arrived from Belgium so can't help with wildlife groups yet but there was a local Vendée one with a stand at a recent local plant fair so I'll be looking them up sooner or later. We also have a pond dug to provide water for cattle rather than as a wildlife refuge. It is now full of bull rushes and brambles and dries out in summer so a man with a bulldozer will be coming to empty all of that and some sludge out later this year and then it can become a proper pond.
We had a natural pond in Belgium and would use an old plastic sieve attached to a long handle to scoop out duckweed. If you go to a specialist supplier of pond kits and plants you may well find they have organic barley straw which can be bundled into an old pair of tights, tied to a stone and lobbed into the middle of the pond. It helps control blanket weed.
The previous owners ran a creche here so had a simple wire mesh fence round the pond and held up with simple round fence stakes. Something similar but using green metal stakes would be easy enough to erect and sturdy enough to keep dogs and small people out of the water while still giving access to any amphibians and small birds.
Later on, as you get other things sorted out, you may have the time to clean up the edges and plant marginal plants to shelter and feed a variety of other aquatic life including insects.
Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast. "We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing." - George Bernard Shaw
Do you get copies of Living magazine - English, every 2 months, life and events and so on in south west France - Vendée, Charente, Dordogne. It's free and can be picked up at some stores, tourist offices and also online. There's always a feature in there on wildlife and ads for groups to join for many activities.
Joining a local association will depend on how good is your French.
Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast. "We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing." - George Bernard Shaw
Posts
Great looking pond and an excellent addition to the garden. I don't know about ecology and biodiversity in SW France but it looks like too much algae on the surface....maybe skim it off. Maybe you should seek local advice.
Thanks Redwing ?
I agree with Pansyface. To me it looks like duckweed, not algae.
Doesn't look the best pond - rather shaded, probably quite steep-sided and possibly quite deep. Plus covered in duckweed and quite likely with a great deal of accumulated sludge at the bottom. Has potential though - is this a house you're going to be living in for several years?
It could attract quite a lot of wildlife e.g. Marbled Newt, Great Crested Newt (probably out of range for this), Palmate Newt, Marsh Frog (large frogs with a stripe down the back), Common Frog, Western Common Toad (Bufo spinosus).
Also snakes such as Grass Snake and Viperine Snake (both harmless).
Thanks for your advice. Yes we plan on keeping the house for our lifetime and passing on to our children if possible too.
Our main aim is to maintain the wildlife and keep the pond as healthy an ecosystem as possible. However, as you can no doubt tell, my knowledge is extremely limited!
thank you ?
WE HAVE SEVERAL MEMBERS WHO LIVE IN FRANCE.
THEY MAY BE ABLE TO RECOMMEND THE BEST WAY TO GO ABOUT CONTACTING A LOCAL WILDLIFE GROUP.
If you live in Derbyshire, as I do.
I'm newly arrived from Belgium so can't help with wildlife groups yet but there was a local Vendée one with a stand at a recent local plant fair so I'll be looking them up sooner or later. We also have a pond dug to provide water for cattle rather than as a wildlife refuge. It is now full of bull rushes and brambles and dries out in summer so a man with a bulldozer will be coming to empty all of that and some sludge out later this year and then it can become a proper pond.
We had a natural pond in Belgium and would use an old plastic sieve attached to a long handle to scoop out duckweed. If you go to a specialist supplier of pond kits and plants you may well find they have organic barley straw which can be bundled into an old pair of tights, tied to a stone and lobbed into the middle of the pond. It helps control blanket weed.
The previous owners ran a creche here so had a simple wire mesh fence round the pond and held up with simple round fence stakes. Something similar but using green metal stakes would be easy enough to erect and sturdy enough to keep dogs and small people out of the water while still giving access to any amphibians and small birds.
Later on, as you get other things sorted out, you may have the time to clean up the edges and plant marginal plants to shelter and feed a variety of other aquatic life including insects.
"We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing." - George Bernard Shaw
I'm NOT!
Do you get copies of Living magazine - English, every 2 months, life and events and so on in south west France - Vendée, Charente, Dordogne. It's free and can be picked up at some stores, tourist offices and also online. There's always a feature in there on wildlife and ads for groups to join for many activities.
Joining a local association will depend on how good is your French.
"We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing." - George Bernard Shaw
WELL, PAPI JO, THOSE OF US WHO ARE SUCKERS FOR A CUTE POOCH ARE SUCKERS FOR A CUTE POOCH.
I DID REFER HALEY TO LOGAN'S THREAD SO, WITH A BIT OF LUCK, YOU WON'T HAVE TO SEE TOO MANY MORE PHOTOS OF POOCHES HOWEVER CUTE WE MAY FIND THEM.
If you live in Derbyshire, as I do.